The Positive Impact that Nature Has on the Brain is Astounding
There's something about being in nature, it
has the magical ability to comfort you, especially in times when you
need it most. It has the ability to put your thoughts back into
perspective and bring about an overwhelming feeling of peace. Have you
ever tried it? Go out on a walk, basking yourself amid trees, grass and
all that nature has to offer, in your lowest of moods, or on your most
stressful of days. Personally, I have found that stepping outside,
breathing in the natural air on my off days, helps bring me back to my
center and regain my focus. But it's not just my take on things.
research too, consistently finds that nature has a profound impact on
the brain.
So, what effects does nature have on the
brain?
1. Being in nature makes you feel more alive
Spending a day at the park or going on a hike can make you feel
incredibly energized, not just mentally, but physically too, and this
theory has been backed by a study conducted by the University of
Rochester, which found that spending time outdoors not only makes you
happier, it can also lead to a surge of energy. So next time you're
feeling depleted, head to a park instead of reaching for a cup of
coffee.
2. Nature has the ability to improve memory
Walking in nature can improve your memory by up to 20%. A study
conducted at the University of Michigan attempted to prove this by
giving participants a 35-minute task which involved repeating loads of
random numbers back to the experimenter but in reverse order. After
this, they went out for a walk, one group around an arboretum, and the
other down a busy street. They each repeated the memory test upon their
return. Results showed that those who wandered among the trees improved
by almost 20%, while those who walked down a busy street did not see any
improvement.
3. It has the ability to reduce acute stress
There is a practice in Japan called shinrin-yoku, which literally means
forest bathing. This study proved that 798 people found shinrin-yoku to
be an especially useful technique amongst those suffering from acute
stress. The Japanese researchers also discovered that forest-bathing
reduced hostility and depression and increased people's liveliness. In
another study, the journal Landscape and Urban Planning found that
adults who lived in areas with the most amount of green space
experienced lower levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) and reported
feeling lower stress than city dwellers.
4. Nature has the ability to improve your sense of focus
It has been found that cities can have a
negative influence on the brain (according to a 2011 study). One of the
reasons this may be so is due to the numerous amount of stimuli you
encounter in hectic urban areas. Think about it - traffic, coffee shops,
not forgetting to mention the throngs of people. Such distraction may
impair the area of the brain that controls your directed attention and
self-control. But, there's an antidote: nature! The great outdoors have
been shown to help with attention. A small 1990s study found that women
who lived in Chicago apartments that overlooked a grassy area saw better
improvements on basic attention.
5. It relieves depressive symptoms
And all it takes is a quick walk in the park, which, as a 2014 study
found, can do wonders for your mind. Walks through nature have a
plethora of mental health benefits, including that of decreasing
depression and alleviating moods... there is another perk to this factor
too. Walking in nature gives you the additional benefit of exercise,
this too alleviates mental health issues.
6. A walk in nature will prevent you from brooding
Brooding is a mental state that is familiar to most of us, whereby we
cannot seem to stop thinking about all the ways in which things are wrong with ourselves and in our lives. In this study, 38 healthy adult
city dwellers first completed a questionnaire to determine their normal
level of brooding, then underwent a brain scan. Half the volunteers were
asked to walk for 90 minutes around a park or a multi-lane highway.
Upon their return, the volunteers repeated both the questionnaire and
the brain scan, discovering that those who walked amid nature were no
longer dwelling on the negative aspects of their life as much as they
had before.
7. A green space helps boost your creativity
Just looking at the color green may help spark inventiveness! But going
into nature for an extended period can have a remarkable effect on
creativity. In one particular study, participants took a four- or
six-day trip into the wilderness. The study discovered that
disconnecting from multimedia and technology increases performance on a
creativity, problem-solving task by a full 50%.